VALVES & FLOW CONTROL
IDEAL OPPORTUNITY
BURKERT
MARSTONS IS CHILLING WITH BURKERT EXPERTISE
For Marstons brewery in Burton upon
Trent, Staffordshire, replacing control
valves on the main chiller system would
improve reliability. However, the process
control components were initially looking
expensive - that is until a call to Burkert
revealed a much more cost-effective
solution.
Replacing ageing equipment or expanding
a production line are ideal opportunities
to take stock of new technologies and how
they can improve productivity and reduce
project costs. Marstons has been expanding
its production facilities to cater for the
increased popularity of craft beers and
part of this process called for new chilled
storage tanks to be installed. In addition, the
pipework and control valves on the existing
storage tanks had reached the end of their
service life and were due for replacement.
188
PECM Issue 37
PROCESS ASSESSMENT
The initial enquiry from the production
engineers at Marstons was to source some
large, electrically actuated control valves,
84 of them in fact. The valves are designed
to control a water/glycol mix that cools
the storage vessels. As part of a hygienic
process, they needed to be stainless steel
and the threaded connecting pipework
was 2 inches (50 mm) in diameter. The
size and design of these valves meant that
they would command a premium price, no
matter which manufacturer supplied them.
Burkert was keen to offer a more cost-
effective solution and suggested that
one of its engineers visit the brewery to
understand the objectives of the process,
the requirements for the control valves and
the structure of the existing process control
system. During the site visit, it transpired
that there was an aversion to installing
pneumatic controls because of perceived
high costs, following a recent quote from
another process control manufacturer.
The Burkert engineers explained that all
the aims of the new process could in-fact
be achieved using pneumatic valve islands
and control valves with a significant saving
compared to the electrically-actuated
valves. The Burkert solution included its
latest valve island, the Type 8652, that
would be built into a European Hygienic
Engineering and Design Group (EHEDG)
panel, enabling it to be positioned close to
the process.
Paired with Type 2000 valves, also in
stainless steel with threaded connections,
each fitted with a CLASSIC actuator, the
whole reduced-cost package could be
offered with a 2-year warranty, direct from
Burkert.